1. Technical Field
This invention relates to cutting tables and, more particularly, to a portable cutting table including a support frame for holding a plurality of knife hooks and pivotal leg members for assisting in food preparation in a variety of locations.
2. Prior Art
Cutting tables have been in use for nearly as long as man has been civilized. The utility of a cutting table is derived from a need to cut various objects while simultaneously preserving the cutting edge of knives or blades. In the specific case of the culinary arts, the chef will also aspire to prepare foods in a clean and sanitary way.
Directly cutting objects upon a hard support which resists damage from a knife is known to unduly dull the knife when the object is severed. Dulled cutlery requires additional force when severing work, and may lead to dangerous slipping and injury. Yet maintaining the cutlery in a sharp state requires substantial sharpening time, and, when the cutlery is repeatedly dulled by the work support, the repeated sharpening also leads to undesired wear of the cutlery. However, cutting without suitable work surfaces will likely result in unrestrained movement of the cutting blade. This practice may lead to injury. Furthermore, without a suitable support, foods may be contaminated by unsterile surfaces. A similar issue arises with the use of a porous work support surface. The porous surface will trap food juices therein, potentially contaminating the work surface and harboring dangerous pathogens.
In a modern household, the cutting table will allow a person to prepare food quickly by slicing a diverse variety of foods, spices and other food ingredients without fear of permanently damaging either the work areas, typically counters and the like, or damaging the cutlery. With an appropriate cutting table, the cook may simply press hard enough to ensure that the food is completely sliced, without regard for what might occur with the knife after the food has been severed.
Outside of the kitchen, but still within a dwelling, there are many times when a person requires the use of a sharp blade such as a razor blade, Exacto-Knife or other tool for cutting various substrates. In these instances, the same concerns regarding the cutlery and work surfaces exist, where the working knife must, to perform the intended function, pierce through the material being cut. As a consequence, it is impossible for a person to stop short of cutting all the way through the substrate and still obtain the desired result. Consequently, there must be contact between the knife and the underlying work support. Where this work support is furniture or the like, the knife will cause harm and damage that may be irreparable.
In the outdoors or in areas less furnished, there may not be a ready work surface. In such instances, it is highly desired to provide a way to prepare food without risking contamination of the food with dirt, earth or the like. Similarly, the knife will also most desirably be protected from damage.
In the prior art, in order to achieve the important goals of protecting the knife while providing a severing surface, and to simultaneously avoid harboring dangerous pathogens, many cutting tables have been fabricated from wood. In particular, closed grain or minimally-grained woods tend to be preferred, such as maple, in the fabrication of cutting tables. This is because most wood species have very little damaging effect on the sharpness of a knife edge during engagement therewith, and closed-grain species provide a relatively non-porous and safe surface for working upon.
To prevent liquids from penetrating the wood and forming a hazardous surface, a food oil such as vegetable oil is commonly applied to the wood and permitted to soak into the pores or openings therein. As is known, the oil prevents water-based liquids from penetrating therein, while simultaneously providing a relatively mild, oiled surface against which the knife blade will be pressed. This oiled wood surface provides very minimal wearing of the knife blade or wooden surface, and yet may be readily cleaned or washed after use.
These traditional wooden cutting surfaces have been the standard used in kitchens for many years. However, the wooden surface requires proper cleaning and oiling to ensure safe usage over time. To have utility with different projects and types of work, the cutting table must be reasonably large to adequately support the various work. In a large kitchen area, this normally does not present a problem, since there is usually a space where the cutting table may either be supported on edge or otherwise stored. In fact, many modern kitchens include a pull-out cutting table immediately below the counter-top.
However, it will be apparent that the surface area of the cutting table and, relative to surface area, thinness of the table, does not lend the table to be readily transported, nor for storage in smaller spaces or places. Not only does the traditional thin and flat cutting table suffer from an inconvenient size, the table must either be manufactured excessively thick to have adequate strength to avoid breakage, or may instead be excessively heavy. Yet, there are many times where a person would benefit from the availability of the cutting table, for outdoor hunting activities or other activities outside of the user home.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The portable cutting table is convenient and easy to use, portable yet durable in design, and designed for assisting in food preparation in a variety of locations. The apparatus is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use.